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Hispanic voters are a crucial constituency in the presidential election, but reaching young Hispanics will require new tactics – and some experts say mobile-phone outreach will be key.

There are more than 21 million eligible Hispanic voters – and more than 30 percent of them are 18 to 30 years old. About 50,000 Hispanics reach the voting age of 18 each month.

But Hispanic voters under 30 have the lowest turnout of any group: Only 41 percent of them voted in 2008.

Young voters and Hispanic voters are far more likely to use their phones to go online than older generations are, so campaigns that use mobile technology are most likely to reach young Hispanics, according to Peter Levine, the director of the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement.

That’s because a mobile phone and an app are personalized and engaging – a far cry from a robocall or a TV ad. Young voters are deeply skeptical of one-for-all marketing and respond best to one-on-one, Hispanic-to-Hispanic marketing, according to research by Levine’s group.

It’s “particularly effective in overcoming issues of trust and motivation that would otherwise be in the way of voting,” Levine said.

Alex Velasco, a 26-year-old first-generation Mexican-American, said Levine’s assessments were right on.

“It’s really easy to reach me on my phone because I have it with me all the time – when I’m on the train, when I’m walking,” Velasco said. “If you send me something political (on my phone), I would be way more likely to read it because it is so easy.” READ MORE

Yesterday’s South Carolina Republican debate set in idyllic Myrtle Beach belied the chaotic and boisterous verbal dueling going on inside the Myrtle Beach Conference Center.

There didn’t appear to be much adherence to time limits or audience control – the booing was at one of the highest decibel levels seen thus far. 

Only Romney seemed above it all by focusing not on the other Presidential contenders but rather on Obama bashing.  Most of the early questions focused on Romney’s business style and his job growth record – you would of thought he was the CEO of multiple Fortune 100’s by the number of jobs he allegedly created instead of financing the talents of the real job creators – entrepreneurs.

After debating on how to create jobs, who hated Osama bin Laden more and all agreeing 99er’s (those American out of work more than 99 weeks) are for sure deadbeats, questions of immigration landed on Romney’s podium.

The man who continuously asserted his priority to ‘strengthening families’ didn’t appear bothered much by splitting up families when a member is deported or having as many of the undocumented leave ASAP.

When the question on immigration was posed it was started by the moderating panel pointing out that Romney’s father was born in Mexico – while returning to the U.S. where Mitt was born making him the ultimate anchor baby (that’s my term not theirs).

The question was framed as to why when someone had a father born in Mexico are they also identified ‘as having one of the harshest stance on immigration.’ 

Let me point at what is being implied here.  Point One -Romney you are of Mexican descent, have relatives living in Mexico.  Point Two – Your father left Mexico for the U.S. to give his family a better opportunity.  Point Three - The people you are seeking to deport or at least the majority of them could be family or family of family, i.e. Mexican.  Point Four – You are the son of an immigrant yet don’t connect with the immigrant struggle.http://www.hispanicallyspeakingnews.com/por-que/details/leave-and-get-in-line-romney-tells-the-undocumented-at-the-sc-debate/13373/